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jpf: no worries I have pain I just don't notice it while I'm sleeping (thank god.)

Okay my take is why not do both? Why does it always have to be exclusive? I think both skills are very important and should both be learned (ideally I suck at ear stuff and have no idea of how to start improving it.)

I'm not sure why it's usually for or against instead of both. I think we need all the skills we can get.

Also why not use different methods to learn? I use two different types of method books to get a more balanced learning. Why not use one method that is by the ear?

Made it to Blues For Wynton Marsalis tonight. Things will startslowly down once I make back to where I was in the book. By the way I chose the username from a Billy Joel lyric from the song "Piano Man".

You "guys and gals are great". I needed to get some external validation on being able to perhaps do both. Now I feel better about not knowing every major, minor chord by heart but still be able to play them, phew that's a relief. Music theory is very cool, just takes a while to get it understood in my head.

And yes Ray Charles sure did have his share of eye trouble and did more than fine!

I'm still on Jingle Bells. I'm now working on getting it up to speed. I'm so glad that I went and started all my books from scratch. I'm doing way better this time around and have almost no frustration.

Also, a huge bonus, I've noticed my flying high pinkies have come down! It's only on passages with the fourth finger in use that it will pop up and as soon as I notice it I slow the passage down until it relaxes back into a curved position. A HUGE accomplishment for me.

Well done Becca! I'm on The Gift To Be Simple in Alfred's now. I noticed yesterday that my fingers are going automatically a few notes before on L hand ready for chord changes. I hadn't really thought about it. I then noticed that it tells you when to be ready to change in the book and I hadn't seen that and am doing what it says. I'm working on perfecting this piece now and adding the dynamics into my playing.

I am Becca- not played today, nodded off on couch watching something on iplayer and just woke up! I had an interview at a college today for learning support work and was offered some hours which is great. I was told by the man at the desk who gave me my visitor card that they have pianos there! They teach music there and he said people can play the pianos when the students are not playing them.

I finished up with Merrily we Roll Along and Largo today. Decided not to get them up to speed just concentrated on being able to play different dynamics in each hand. Am very pleased with being able to do so after only a few days.

I finished up with Merrily we Roll Along and Largo today. Decided not to get them up to speed just concentrated on being able to play different dynamics in each hand. Am very pleased with being able to do so after only a few days.

So on to Mary Ann!

Well done BeccaBb! I'm on Alouette- just getting the timing more exact. I went on from page 47 that I was on with my teacher. He was pleased I went on by myself and played this. He has given me Largo by Dvorak that is in my Classical Piano book- some of them are grade 3 but think this is about grade 2. I will be wortking on that and Cafe Vienna on page 50 of Alfred's as well, I can also do pages 51-58 in Alfred's as well but Largo and Cafe Vienna are my main ones. We also did scales- need to do left hand scales more.

I'm new to the forum and new to adult piano learning. I had one piano class in High School like 25 years ago and now I want to learn piano myself.

What I want to ask is that what is the difference between the Alfred all-in-one book and the Alfred's Basic Adult Piano lesson book 1? Which is a better book to start with? I started with the basic book last week and is now up to around page 27. Should I use both books or just stick to one?

The adult all in one course includes theory and technique while the Adult basic does not. That's really the only difference. Just use the book you have but look into getting the matching theory and technique books that go with it.

I appreciate knowing about this adult piano course. I am very new to this forum and am interested in returning to playing the piano. I started lessons at 7 years old and quit by the time I was 10. I think I had a boring teacher because I have always quit doing anything once I was bored. I certainly wish now at age 64 I had switched teachers and continued but that decision was out of my hands. Currently, I only have an electronic keyboard which I'm using to see how much I remember. I can't afford an acoustic piano at this point just to see how it goes. I video taped myself playing Nearer My God to Thee and sent it to a professional piano entertainer with whom I friends. His comments were that I had musicality, not to worry about the "clams", whatever those are (mistakes?) and to keep practicing. While I never intend to be on stage (having a heart attack thinking about that) I would like to be able to play a song completely through without people making excuses to leave the house. So, again, thank you for sharing about the adult piano course book which I shall now go search out.

Hi all, I've not learned an instrument ever before and have just started plinking my way throught the Alfreds 'Self-Teaching Adult Piano Course' book today. I'm happy to have finally commenced the journey of learning this fine instrument. As this is day 1, I am acutely aware of my uncoordinated fingers and disjointed efforts at the keyboard. I look forward to all of your posts as motivation, and as a guide to what is on the horizon

I just switch from the Alfred's basic book to the all-in-one book. I finished the "When the Saints come marching in" in both LH and RH. My question is, even though I can play it, how would I know I'm doing it correctly with this song and other songs? I did watch some YouTube video on the songs for this book but how would I know if I'm doing everything correctly without a teacher? My daughter will be taking piano lessons next year and I plan on sitting in to learn a bit also.

Also, what level will I need to be in order to play "The River Flows In You?" I just love that song. I looked at the music sheets and I can only play the intro for the time being.

A good way is to record your songs and post a link for the people of this forum to hear it. Then we will be able offer advice.

The River Flows in You seems like a difficult piece, at least as it is played here. You might find a more simplified version, but I think it would take years of learning to be at a level to play something like this.

Wow Edward your just clipping along! How many pieces are you working on at once? (Just curious cause I'm wondering if I have too little or too much...)

I'm creeping along at the moment Beccab!At the moment two new ones- Alouette from Alfred's and Dvorak's Largo from my Classical "really easy" piano book. Only it's not that easy LOL. I have got Alouette reasonably well- working on perfecting the timing. Not done much on Largo recently as started a new job and been scared to play Piano cos lady next door played CDs very loud at 3am til 6.35 am last Saturday and when I had to get up out of bed at 4am to complain she said it was the same as me playing Piano!!! I said I never played at 4 am! I didn't play Piano til today. It isn't the same cos I don't play after 10 pm and usually 6 pm ( no later than 10 pm) or the afternoon and only for 30 mins at a time. She was always friendly before ( would have coffee with her) and said she couldn't even hear my Piano. I was scared she'd knock on the wall so played very softly!

I also play the previous pages in Alfred's so as to keep improving and to not forget them and also an easy (ish) version of Beethoven's sonata no 25.

I went to a concert at the Liverpool Philharmonic last night- my friend and I saw the brilliant Korean pianist H J Lim play Rachmaninov!!! It was epic!!

Thanks for the welcome everyone I can see improvement in my fingers already (day three now), and can nearly do 2 octaves of the C Maj scale both hands at once evenly. Once I've nailed that, bring on the next scale to practice! Alfreds is nice and progressive also, though only very slowly getting the hang of my two hands doing slightly different things.

When I practice Mary Anne, I'm having issues with left hand tension. Both my pinkie and my thumb want to come up. I've tried going really slow, moving closer, moving farther, leaning in, and seat adjustment all to no avail.

So I've videotaped myself to try to see what's going on. I think I'm dropping my wrist. Not much but enough to be messing it up. Could you guys watch it and let me know what you see as a potential problem going on here? There is no piano sound because it's late. You can hear me kinda talking to myself and the keys though.. LOL